1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to emergency medical equipment, and in one of its aspects, to a medical suction apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In emergency field operations, emergency medical technicians need a suction device to aspirate vomitus from the airways of unconscious patients. The suction device which is currently most common in the field is the Laerdal Jet Suction apparatus. The Laerdal Jet Suction apparatus creates a suction effect by passing freon across a venturi tube. The apparatus is bulky, requires set-up time, has a limited operating time, and becomes very cold during operation, possibly causing cold burns to the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,828, issued to Sheridan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,221, issued to Corbett, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,635, issued to Swatman, all show the use of suction devices that allow hand adjustment of the amount of suction pressure, but the devices shown in all three patents are designed to be used with conventional suction devices such as suction pumps. None of the suction devices shown in these patents are especially adapted to field operation.